Michael King

King was the Yankees' duct tape in 2023 as he fixed issues as the pitching situation broke down in New York. Need a starter? King started nine contests in the second half peaking with a 13-strikeout performance against Toronto on September 20th. Need a closer? King saved six games before the break. Need a long reliever? King had 24 outings in which he faced 5-9 batters. Throughout it all, King struck out 29.5% of the batters he faced holding them to a .223 average with solid ratios with a handful of wins and saves. He has a four-pitch repertoire against lefties with his changeup leading the way and zigs and zags against righties with sinkers and sweepers. King was the big-league headliner in the Padres' return for one year of Juan Soto, and San Diego has such little rotation depth that his role won't be in question as long as he stays healthy. It's a modest upgrade in home parks, as Yankee Stadium was close to neutral while San Diego has the second-best pitcher's park in the game, per Baseball Savant's three-year rolling park factors. Read Past Outlooks